


The Visit

by The_Lady_Crane



Category: Super Smash Brothers
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Awkwardness, Closeted Character, Coming Out, Crack Relationships, Family Drama, Gay, Interspecies Relationship(s), Interspecies Romance, M/M, Male Slash, Marth freaks out a lot, Meet the Family, Meeting the Parents, Mild Language, Mild Sexual Content, Not Serious, Polyamory, Secret Relationship, Shounen-ai, Silly, Some Humor, Threesome - M/M/M, Weirdness, Yaoi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-11
Updated: 2019-01-11
Packaged: 2019-10-08 05:34:37
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,456
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17380568
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_Lady_Crane/pseuds/The_Lady_Crane
Summary: Marth thought he had found a perfect life in Smashville. He has a job, a nice apartment, and two boyfriends who adore him. There's just one hitch: His family. When they come for an impromptu visit, Marth is determined to keep his romantic life a secret. With everyone under one roof, though, it's only a matter of time before they find out. And when that happens...Modern AU, Ike/Marth/Meta Knight





	The Visit

**Author's Note:**

> I really don't know if I'll continue this. I have a few loose ideas for where it will go, but nothing definite. I finished this chapter, though, so I wanted to post it anyway. I hope it's as fun to read as it was to write!

Snow was falling outside by the time Marth wrenched open the door to his apartment. He stomped muddy slush off of his boots and let the door slam shut behind him as he carried two handfuls of plastic bags inside.

Breathing in deeply, he caught the scent of shampoo. Ike was already back. He smiled to himself as he put the groceries away. Coming home after a long day at work was always relaxing. The things that filled the apartment were a tapestry that represented his symbiosis with the two men who shared his home: Meta Knight’s metal coffee canister, filled with his favorite blend; Ike’s steak knives on their magnetic rack; Marth’s pots and pans suspended from the ceiling. The place had become a hodgepodge of simple, rugged, and elegant styles that complimented each other well – much like the occupants of the apartment. It was comforting to be among their things, to be in their space.

It wasn’t the most glamorous place, but it was home. Marth had grown up in sumptuous accommodations, being the son of an ancient and noble family. His childhood home was a sprawling estate in Altea, one of the wealthiest nations in the world. For all his wealth, though, he had only found fulfillment once he’d come to Smashville. The metropolis was the largest hub of cultural exchange in all of Hyrule, having been the first city established by an extraterrestrial being at the beginning of the space expansion. In this sprawling city, in a small apartment nestled on the sixteenth floor of a downtown high-rise, Marth had discovered true happiness.

One reason for this happiness came padding out of the bathroom, still wet and naked but for the towel wrapped around his waist. “Welcome home,” Ike said, running a hand through his short indigo-blue hair. Marth accepted his embrace with a contented sigh as Ike leaned down to kiss him, pinning him against the counter in the process.

“Mmm… You should greet me like this more often.”

“Granted,” Ike said, playfully nipping at Marth’s ear. “How was work?”

“The usual. You?”

“The usual.” Ike grinned, pulling back so Marth could finish putting away the groceries. “His Majesty fell on the treadmill again.”

“That’s not really fair,” Marth said. “His Majesty”, Dedede, was an extraterrestrial from the planet Popstar, where everyone walked on stubby feet attached directly to their bodies. It made for an adorable shape, but it wasn’t very practical for running. “I’m not sure he could run on a treadmill even if he was fit.”

“I’ve seen him run when he has to,” Ike said. “Besides, it’s my job to push him. That’s what he pays me for.”

“When he does pay you.”

“Heh… I don’t have that problem since Meta Knight had a talk with him.”

It was common knowledge that Dedede was lazy, selfish, greedy, and tightfisted with his money. Nevertheless, he was one of the wealthiest citizens of Smashville, owning several successful companies that made and sold various products. It was also common knowledge that he had a well-paid team of advisors to run the company for him as he sat back and reaped the profits. He employed Waddle Dees almost exclusively, and they were a workforce that never complained and demanded only food and shelter in return for unwavering loyalty. To Marth’s knowledge, Ike and Meta Knight were Dedede’s only non-Waddle Dee employees. Ike was his personal trainer, and Meta Knight was his chief of security.

When Meta Knight arrived an hour later, Ike was dressed and Marth was making dinner. “Welcome home,” Ike and Marth both said as the puffball set a stack of mail on the counter. Marth leaned down so he could kiss the top of Meta Knight’s head, and the knight embraced him briefly. He was never as open with his affections as Ike was.

“You’re on duty tonight,” Meta Knight commented, looking at the pot bubbling on the stove. “Good.”

“What’s wrong with my cooking?” Ike asked, looking over the back of the couch where he was watching TV.

“It is… functional,” Meta Knight said. “But not very flavorful.”

Ike snorted. “At least it’s better than yours.” Marth was not the best cook, and Ike’s cuisine had a plainness to it that didn’t make for an enjoyable experience, but Meta Knight’s attempts were dreadful. The other two only allowed him near the stove under dire circumstances, and oftentimes they would just end up ordering out when Meta Knight’s turn came.

“What was that?”

“Nothing,” Ike said hastily, turning back to the TV. Any hint that Meta Knight wasn’t good at something would result in repeated attempts to prove his prowess, and Ike and Marth didn’t have the stomach for a week straight of Meta Knight’s “best” cooking.

“… There is mail for you,” Meta Knight said after a moment of staring at the back of Ike’s head. He shuffled through the stack on the counter and tossed Ike’s portion to the trainer, who gathered it up from the arm of the couch and began reading through it. “Marth, the rest is yours.”

“Thank you.” Marth took the envelopes and began looking through them, keeping one eye on the stew. He nearly dropped the mail, though, when he saw a parchment envelope stamped with a wax seal. The Lowell family crest gleamed in the overhead light.

“What’s wrong?” Meta Knight had noticed Marth’s rigid expression.

“A letter from my family,” Marth mumbled, tearing the paper open. “Would you keep watch on the food, please?”

“I’ll do it,” Ike said, jumping off the couch so he could intercept Meta Knight at the stove. “Go ahead and sit down, Meta Knight.” The puffball glared at him. He knew the real reason behind this eagerness to help.

Marth stood at the counter to read the letter. By the end of it, his face had gone pale. “What’s it say?” Ike asked.

“It’s from my father. He wants to come for a visit.”

“Oh, we finally get to meet the king!” Though Altea had not had a royal family for centuries, Ike had jokingly taken to calling Marth “prince” because of his refined upbringing and his habits.

“This isn’t good…” Marth sighed, running a hand through his hair. “He’s probably hoping to persuade me to come back to Altea.”

“So? It’s not like he can make you go back.”

“He has his ways…”

The subject was dropped until dinner was on the table. The little dining nook was perfect for three people, and they sat at a round table that was small enough to create an intimate setting. “So, when is your old man coming?” Ike asked after a moment of savoring his food.

“He isn’t.”

“But you said…”

“I’m certainly not going to allow him to come here,” Marth said sternly. “I’ll tell him I have a business trip.”

“You work in tech support,” Ike pointed out. “You don’t take business trips.”

“Father doesn’t know that.”

“Why are you so adamant about keeping him away?” Meta Knight asked.

“It’s just a bad idea,” Marth said quietly.

“If he has threatened you in any way…”

“Nothing like that.” For the first time all evening, Marth smiled. Meta Knight may not have shown his feelings very often, but he was fiercely protective of the younger man. “Father doesn’t know about… you two.”

“So he’s in for a shock,” Ike laughed. “Big deal.”

“No, he doesn’t know that I’m… Well, that I’m…”

“Gay?”

Marth’s face flamed red. He nodded. “He always suspected it, and that was why he pushed me to be ‘normal’. But the last time he saw me, I had managed to convince him.”

“Psh. He’ll have to deal with it,” Ike said.

“It’s not just that…” Marth sighed. “The three of us have an unusual relationship, even by most standards… He would not accept my dating one man, but two men… and one of them an extraterrestrial...”

“You had mentioned that before,” Meta Knight said. “If your father wishes to visit Smashville, though, he should be prepared to meet a few of us.”

“What’s the worst he could do?” Ike asked. “Sounds like an asshole, if you ask me. He may be your dad, but that doesn’t mean you have to talk to him.”

“But I do want to keep up a relationship with my mother,” Marth said. “Elice can always visit me, but Mother is almost entirely under my father’s control. She believes in the old ways – that a wife should obey her husband no matter what.” The younger man rested his chin on his folded hands, staring off into space. “If he forbade her from speaking with me, I know she would do what he said. That… would be difficult. I used to be very close with my mother, before I moved here.”

The clinking of spoons against bowls resumed as the three fell silent. Finally, as Ike was gathering up the dishes, he said, “Your old man’s going to visit sometime or another. Maybe your mom’s pushing for it.”

“I’m sure she is,” Marth said with a bitter smile. “Father would never come here on his own initiative. But perhaps I can persuade him not to come, all the same.”

“If you can’t, then it’s no problem,” Ike said. “We can just hide our relationship.”

“That may not be a good idea…” Marth said. “It’s hard to pull one over on him… and, Ike, you’re not the most discreet person.” He said this with a slight laugh.

“Hey, I can be subtle!”

“You’re about as subtle as your sword.” Ike’s Ragnell was almost as tall as Marth, and nearly as heavy. Ike was capable of swinging it around with only one hand, and he did – often at foolhardy drivers who came too close to where he was walking.

“Yeah? I’ll show you!”

Marth yelped as Ike came after him, and Meta Knight followed them back into the bedroom, leaving the dishes forgotten.

><><>< 

Cornelius was a stern man, and a perceptive one. He could sense a lie a mile away. Unsurprisingly, he wasn’t fooled by Marth’s excuse. Marth received another letter a week after mailing his reply. “We will arrive at the Smashville West Station at two o’clock this coming Saturday. It is our hope that you will be there to receive us.” Marth had tossed the letter on the counter with a groan.

The following two days had been a frenzy of cleaning, tidying, and coaching Ike and Meta Knight on proper behavior when in his parents’ presence. Saturday arrived, and Marth was nearly beside himself all day. “Relax, Princess!” Ike said as Marth scrubbed the kitchen counter for the fifth time. “They probably won’t even come here! Just show them to their hotel and buy ‘em lunch or something.”

Meta Knight pulled Marth down into an embrace, and Marth knelt so he could nuzzle into Meta Knight’s arms. This was an unusual display for the knight. “Be calm.” His rumbling voice was indeed soothing, and Marth felt some of the tension drain.

Putting his mask on, Meta Knight left for work. Ike stopped to give Marth a passionate kiss before he headed out, as well. “Don’t worry,” he said. “It’ll be fine!”

Marth allowed himself a moment of gratitude for his boyfriends. Strange though their relationship may be, he loved them deeply. Then he realized it was already 8 am, and he dashed off to clean the toilet again.

 When he finally made his way to the west station, he had in place a carefully-crafted mask of calm. He weathered the crowds with hardly a blink, and remained impassive as he sighted his father getting off the train.

Cornelius was a head taller than Marth, and his sharp eyes darting around constantly gave one the impression of a hawk scanning for prey. Those steely grey eyes landed on Marth, and seemed to narrow almost imperceptibly. He strode forward, his bearded face set in determination. Marth stood still, not saying a word, as was expected of him.

“Good Gods, boy, what are you wearing?” was the first thing Cornelius said to the son he hadn’t seen in three years.

“This?” Marth fingered the black shirt, momentarily confused.

“Your trousers. They’re indecent.”

“They’re called jeans,” Marth said. “Everyone here wears them.”

A relic of the bygone days of old, Cornelius insisted on wearing the traditional garb of Altea. Today he was clad in a gray tunic and dark blue pants, complete with knee-high cuffed boots of brown leather. He had even brought along a blue cape, edged in gold, and the golden crest of the Lowell family gleamed proudly on his breast.

Clothing like this wasn’t too unusual in Smashopolis (in fact, it was similar to Meta Knight’s style), but Marth’s jeans were a new concept to Cornelius. He scowled at them disapprovingly. “I will expect you to change into proper attire for dinner tonight,” Cornelius said.

Fortunately for Marth, his mother and sister came up behind Cornelius. “Oh, Marth…” Liza, a woman of slight stature, stepped forward to hug her son. Like her husband, she was dressed in a style common in Altea: a blue dress with white cuffs on the sleeves, and a neatly-pressed white collar. Her graying blue hair was done up in a loose bun. She smelled of rose perfume, a scent that brought Marth back momentarily to his childhood as his mother’s arms enveloped him. He returned her embrace, leaning his head on her shoulder.

“Mother… I’m so glad to see you,” he said honestly.

When Liza pulled away, Elice took her place. Marth’s older sister was a younger version of their mother, and looked almost identical to Marth. Her teal-blue hair fell over her shoulders in waves, brushing along her lilac dress. “I missed you so much,” she said.

“I missed you, too.” Marth held onto her until Cornelius cleared his throat loudly.

“Come, then. We should be going.” He clapped his hands, and a porter appeared with a trolley of luggage. “Now, how will we be getting to your home?”

“Wouldn’t you prefer to take your things to the hotel?” Marth asked.

“What hotel?”

There was a moment of tense silence between father and son. Marth smiled gently, masking the apprehension building in his gut. “Surely you booked a hotel room ahead of time… All of the best ones may be full by now.”

“Why on Earth would we stay in a hotel?” Cornelius said. “Do you want us to have our things stolen? To be murdered in our sleep?”

“Father, nothing like that happens here.”

“You should be grateful that we have come all this way to see you,” Cornelius said stiffly. “But perhaps if you don’t want to accommodate your only family…”

“N- no, that’s…” Marth was beginning to panic, but he covered it well. “I would love to have you stay with me, but my apartment is rather small. I’m afraid we have no guest rooms, so you may be uncomfortable sleeping in my room.”

“If it’s good enough for you, it’s good enough for us,” Cornelius said, and Marth suppressed a sigh. There was no winning this one.

With a heavy step, he led his family through the crowd and outside. _“I should have faked my death and been done with it,”_ he thought as he raised his hand and flagged down a taxi.

This was going to be the longest week of his life. That much was apparent as soon as they got out of the taxi. “AGH!” A sudden bellow made Marth nearly trip. “Rats!”

Marth looked up, and sighed in relief. A pikachu and two pichu were scampering along the sidewalk. “Oh, Father, those are just…”

Before he could get the explanation out, Cornelius had hurled a carpet bag at the pokemon. The two little pichu squeaked and dashed away, but the pikachu rounded on the man. “Pika pi!” it demanded.

“It talks!” Cornelius grabbed his wife’s hand, which was trembling as the woman gave a sudden scream. Dragging the rest of their luggage behind, Cornelius and Liza ran for the building doorway.

“I- I’m sorry, he’s just not used to…” Marth turned back to the pikachu just in time to receive a jolt of electricity straight to the gut. “GHKG!” He fell on his rear, and Elice rushed to his side. The pikachu ran after its offspring.

“Were those pokemon?” Elice asked, helping Marth to his feet and smoothing down his hair, which was sticking up all over. “I’ve read about them, but I’ve never seen one before.”

“Y- yes… And generally, they don’t appreciate having things thrown at them…” He glared in the direction of the door, where Liza and Cornelius were peering out uncertainly.

“You certainly could have handled that better,” Cornelius said as Marth and Elice joined them in the lobby. Marth had to bite his tongue on the entire ride up to floor 16.

After complaining loudly and often about the elevator (“A death trap if I ever saw one!”) and the waddle dee hurrying down the hall (“Why, it looks like a footstool! That thing is actually alive?”), Cornelius had obviously still not exhausted his wealth of disparaging comments. “You actually live here?” he asked when they entered the apartment. And the comments just kept coming from there.

The door looked battered. The entryway was too small. The living room was depressing. The kitchen light was too bright. The windows weren’t large enough, and the view was horrible. “There’s no green anywhere!” Cornelius grumbled, peering out over the city as if it had hidden all of its trees from him on purpose.

“Those condos over there are painted green,” Marth said with a trace of humor. Cornelius only glowered at him. “They have trees in several areas of the city, Father. In fact, there’s a hotel nearby that has…”

“No hotels! We will stay here.” As if to prove his point, Cornelius sat in Meta Knight’s navy-blue wingback chair.

Elice and Liza sat on the couch, and Marth busied himself with their luggage before he sat in his own tan leather chair. A moment of tense silence followed, in which only Elice seemed at ease. Liza was smiling serenely, but her back was a little too stiff; Cornelius was sitting with his leg crossed over his knee, his elbow on the arm of the chair and his face set in a scowl as he glared balefully around; and Marth was on the edge of his seat, knees pressed together and hands folded in his lap. They were the very picture of a family that had no idea what to say to each other.

“How was your trip?” Marth asked to break the silence.

“I never understood the so-called innovation of the bullet train,” Cornelius said. “Steam engines were good enough.”

“It was a very lovely ride,” Liza said.

“And these, what do you call them, cars? Why are there so many? This whole city smells like an oil fire!”

“What a lovely shade of blue,” Liza said, indicating the walls, as if her husband wasn’t even talking.

“What you’re doing here, I have no idea. There’s too much of everything! It’s too big! Too loud!”

“Were those holly bushes outside? They’re just lovely.”

Elice caught Marth’s eye and they smirked at each other. It was a private joke between the siblings that their parents had a double act – Beauty and the Grump. While their father was determined to be contentious when things didn’t go his way, their mother doggedly tried to smooth things over by commenting on how “lovely” everything was. Marth wasn’t surprised to see that things hadn’t changed.

“Well, I hadn’t planned on having you stay here…” Marth said, biting his lower lip (his father glowered at him, but didn’t say anything; he detested this habit). “I have two roommates, you see, so we’ll have to figure out sleeping arrangements…”

“Where are they?” Cornelius asked.

“They’re both at work,” Marth said. “Ike is a personal trainer, and Meta Knight is…”

“You’re rooming with a knight?” Cornelius said, raising his eyebrow. “There are actual knights here?”

“Y- yes. He is a knight.” Marth wondered when the time would come to mention that he was also an alien.

“I hope they’ll join us for dinner,” Elice said. “They shouldn’t stay away on our account.”

“Yes, I’d love to meet them,” Liza said eagerly.

Marth had planned on taking his family out to dinner and leaving Ike and Meta Knight at home. The less interaction there was between the two groups, the better. He didn’t want to give the impression that he was trying to keep them apart, though, so he excused himself to call Meta Knight.

“What’s wrong?” Meta Knight answered his cell phone immediately. Marth never called him at work unless there was a problem.

“There’s been a new development,” Marth sighed, leaning against the railing of the balcony. Cold wind bit at him, and he relished the enlivening sensation. “My family has decided to stay here, with us…”

“I see. Are they aware that you have… roommates?”

“They are. Father doesn’t trust the hotels. I told him they were perfectly safe, but…”

“Never mind. We can think of arrangements this evening.”

“Yes. There’s also the matter of dinner.”

“Weren’t you going out with them?” By the brief pause, Meta Knight knew that Marth was biting his lower lip again. It was a nervous habit that he found endearing, and he smirked, picturing the younger man in his mind.

“That’s the thing… They want to meet you and Ike. We’re going to have to withstand dinner together, but that means I need time to coach you both, and…”

“Marth,” Meta Knight’s voice was firm. Marth was starting to get worked up. “You have told us enough. Ike and I can behave just fine. We’ll all go out together, and then we’ll worry about sleeping arrangements. I’ll let Ike know when I see him, and we’ll be home a little early.”

“Alright,” Marth sighed, taking comfort from the deep voice. “Thank you… Sorry for the trouble.”

“It’s no trouble,” Meta Knight chuckled. “Keep yourself together. We’ll see you later.”

“OK… _te amo…”_ Marth blushed as he said this, using the phrase that Meta Knight had once taught him. I love you.

“ _Te amo, mi amor_ ,” Meta Knight’s voice conveyed so much emotion that Marth had to take a moment to steady his heartbeat before going back inside. His father was eyeing the TV warily, while his mother and sister were conversing about the lovely carpet.

>>><<< 

By the time late afternoon rolled around, Marth had worked himself into a state of nervousness again. His father hadn’t stopped complaining, his mother hadn’t dropped that blankly serene smile, and Elice had given him a strange look when she’d discovered a picture of her brother with his “roommates” hanging on the wall. Marth had hastily stowed it away – it was a picture of them at the beach, Ike with his arm around Marth and Marth with his hand on Meta Knight’s head. He had forgotten about hiding it. Elice only smiled at him as he shook his head warningly, begging her with his eyes not to mention it aloud.

Marth hadn’t found the right opportunity to tell them about Meta Knight, but found that time was running out when he saw a text from Ike saying they were on their way home. Marth cleared his throat and faced his family, who were all still seated in the living room. “I do have something to announce,” Marth said. “About Meta Knight, he’s… Well, he’s an extraterrestrial.”

Cornelius groaned. “You took up with one?”

“Father, please don’t say that in front of him!” Marth’s face burned in his anger, and for once he faced his father with a mirrored image of Cornelius’ stern expression. “You will not insult him!”

“Insult him?” Cornelius said. “Do you really think I’d allow myself to be rude, even to one of them?” Despite Marth’s irritated growl, Cornelius turned an indifferent eye on his antique pocket watch. “I know how to behave in public, Marth. Now, how soon will they arrive? It doesn’t do to keep guests waiting – since we are on the subject of manners.”

“They’re almost here,” Marth said, glancing at his phone to mark the time that Ike had sent the message. Only a few more minutes, and they would be home.

All too soon, he heard the lock click in the front door. Meta Knight and Ike entered, and Marth had to restrain the urge to rush to them in his terror and relief. As glad as he was to see them, he was horrified to think that the meeting would go wrong somehow.

Cornelius’ face was set in what passed as polite for him – grim watchfulness. Liza had her pleasant mask in place, but Elice stood immediately and smiled at the two. Marth’s palms began to sweat – she had to suspect something. Damn her and her perceptiveness.

“Please allow me to introduce my roommates,” Marth said. “This is Ike, and this is Meta Knight. Guys, my father, Cornelius,” he nodded to the man, who grunted in greeting. “My mother, Liza,” she gave a little bow, smiling stiffly. “And my sister, Elice.” Elice stepped forward to shake their hands, followed by Cornelius and Liza. Marth noticed that his parents held onto Meta Knight’s hand for only a second, but neither one said anything rude, so he counted this as a victory.

Marth remained tense as the pleasantries continued. Cornelius was asking Ike most of the questions, ignoring Meta Knight as much as he could. Meta Knight didn’t seem to mind, as he was engaged in conversation with Elice.

“So, my brother has told me a bit about you,” Elice said. “When you first met… but he never mentioned that you were living together.”

“We find this arrangement suitable,” Meta Knight said. “Living in the city is expensive. It’s most economical to share, and this apartment was built to house four.”

“Four rooms, and you haven’t a single guest bed?” Cornelius asked Marth.

“We don’t have company often,” Marth said.

“I have the largest room,” Meta Knight said. “You are most welcome to use it while you’re here, Mr. and Mrs. Lowell.”

“How nice,” Liza said, seemingly surprised by the knight’s generosity. “Cornelius, isn’t that so polite of him?”

“Yes, very nice,” Cornelius said, a little grudgingly. “Thank you.”

“You can have my room,” Marth said to Elice. “I can sleep on the couch.”

“Nah, the couch isn’t really big enough for sleeping,” Ike said. “Just stay with me, you guys.”

Elice quirked her eyebrow, and her mouth curved into a smile as she glanced at Marth. Marth’s face went white. But Cornelius and Liza didn’t seem to register anything unusual. Indeed, Liza seemed a bit amused. “It will be like a slumber party,” she said. “Isn’t that nice?”

“Yes,” Marth said, but his gaze was on Ike. He didn’t think this would turn out well.

>>><<< 

Dinner was less of a disaster than Marth had feared. Naturally, his father had been unpleasant and his mother hadn’t dropped her dreamy denial of anything wrong, but all in all, it was practically a success… until dessert was served.

Cornelius disapproved of the restaurant, even though it was one of Smashville’s best. Marth had spared no expense, even dipping into the vacation fund to make sure his family had a good time. One day at the Great Bay Beachfront Resort was worth sacrificing to avoid any extra trouble with Cornelius.

Marth felt a sense of vengeful delight as his parents ooh-ed and aah-ed over Meta Knight’s accomplishments. The knight had a knack for bringing up his achievements without coming across as bragging, and even Elice was impressed as he regaled them with stories of battles waged across galaxies, of distant stars and remote planets and the diverse people who lived there.

Ike was also impressing them. While Meta Knight could navigate polite conversation, Ike was not one for chitchat. He remained stoic, only answering questions and not offering any information that wasn’t solicited. This, Marth knew, was a merit to his parents, who admired the strong silent type – and who both held the belief that those of lower birth should remain silent in the presence of their “betters”.

“Hey, guys!”

Marth nearly choked on his chocolate souffle. He looked over to see Pit and Palutena standing together at a nearby table as a waiter pulled out their chairs. Both were angelic beings from a realm above Earth, and Pit had been friends with Marth since the latter’s first arrival in Smashville.

“Hi, Pit,” Ike waved, and Meta Knight nodded curtly.

“Good to see you,” Marth said.

“On a date?” Ike asked, grinning.

Palutena laughed merrily while Pit rolled his eyes. Pit was Palutena’s messenger and friend, but it was fun to make jokes about their relationship because it flustered Pit so much.

“We just stopped in for a bite to eat,” Pit said. “What about you? I see you have company.”

“Yes. These are my parents, Cornelius and Liza Lowell,” Marth said mechanically. “And my sister, Elice. This is Pit. He’s an acquaintance.”

“Charmed,” Cornelius said, eyeing the angel’s wings warily.

“If you’ll excuse me a moment,” Palutena said, gliding off with a cell phone in her hand.

“She’s always busy,” Pit said. “So, finally brought your parents here, huh? What do you think of the city?”

Thankfully, Pit was spared the tirade by Cornelius’ compulsive politeness. “It’s interesting,” he said simply.

“Lovely,” Liza said.

“So, how did they react when they found out?”

And there it was. The world seemed to freeze, while Marth’s mind began racing. Pit had spilled the beans. What could he say? What could he do?

Thankfully, Meta Knight was quicker on the uptake. “They already know about his job,” he said.

“Oh, no, I meant with you three, about…”

“They are also aware that we live together,” Meta Knight said. “Excuse me a moment. There’s actually something I need to discuss with Pit.”

Marth’s legs turned to jelly as Meta Knight led the angel away from the table. He glanced at Ike, who seemed to slump in relief, as well. Meta Knight and Pit were only gone a moment, but when they returned Pit went right to his own table and suddenly became very interested in his menu. Meta Knight sat down with a nod to Marth and Ike. Disaster averted.

After dinner, they returned to the apartment. It was late, and the three travelers were tired. While Ike conversed with Marth’s family, Marth and Meta Knight changed the sheets on their beds and got their rooms ready.

“What was Ike thinking, having us all sleep in the same room?” Marth muttered as he passed Meta Knight in the hallway.

“What’s the problem?” Meta Knight asked, tucking the old sheets into the laundry hamper.

“You know that he can’t control himself.” Marth reached over Meta Knight to get some fresh towels for the bathroom. “He’s going to try something, and then we’ll make noise, and my parents will find out, and then…”

“Don’t worry about Ike,” Meta Knight said. “He’s more restrained than you give him credit for.”

In truth, the same thought had occurred to Meta Knight. Ike was a randy man, and close proximity would surely get him in the mood. He had shown little restraint before, when his own sister had been visiting. He’d spent most of the night feeling Marth up under the covers. Meta Knight suspected that the thought of getting caught was a major turn-on for the man. They would have to be on guard against that.

Their guests settled down soon, and with the bedroom doors closed and the lights out, the three residents of the apartment relaxed in the living room. “That was close, earlier,” Ike said, but Marth shushed him.

“Let’s not discuss it here,” he whispered, glancing at the entrance to the hallway.

“Right. So, you wanna turn in?”

Marth and Meta Knight looked at each other. “Sure,” Marth sighed, and stood up. Ike reached out as if to grab his hand, but the younger man ducked away and went straight to Ike’s room. Meta Knight followed, careful to stay between the two.

They went to bed, bunched close together on the king-sized mattress – Meta Knight took up a lot of room, as he was so big around. Marth was in the middle, and Ike scooted up behind him so he could wrap his arms around him. Marth swallowed thickly, but he didn’t have anything to worry about. Ike was soon snoring, and Marth breathed a sigh of relief.

Thus, the first day came to a close.

**Author's Note:**

> I usually make Cornelius a Really Bad Guy, and he's an asshole in this story, as well. But he's not as serious as I usually make him. This story is absolute silly weirdness, so no real drama here.


End file.
